إِلى المَسجِدِ الأَقصى مِنَ الحَرَمِ القُدسي

إِلى المَسجِدِ الأَقصى مِنَ الحَرَمِ القُدسي

سَرَينا فَوافى الفَتحُ مِن حَضرَة القُدسِ

سَرَينا فَوافى الفَتحُ مِن حَضرَة القُدسِ

To al-Aqsa Mosque from the Holy Sanctuary,

To al-Aqsa Mosque from Jerusalem’s sacred precinct,

we journeyed by night, and triumph met us from the Presence of Holiness.

We journeyed by night, and the opening came from the Presence of Holiness.

وَجئنا حمى التَقديس وَاللَيلُ راقِدٌ

وَجئنا حمى التَقديس وَاللَيلُ راقِدٌ

وَقَد جُنَّ حَتّى لا يَفيقُ مِنَ المَسِّ

وَقَد جُنَّ حَتّى لا يَفيقُ مِنَ المَسِّ

We reached the precinct of sanctification while night lay sleeping,

And we came to the sanctuary of holiness while night lay asleep,

having sunk into such delirium that it could not awaken from possession.

And it had gone mad, unable to recover from possession.

طَلائِعُ أَنضاءٍ عَلى مِثلِها لَها

طَلائِعُ أَنضاءٍ عَلى مِثلِها لَها

عَلى الأَين إِرقالُ الظَليمِ عَلى الحَرسِ

عَلى الأَين إِرقالُ الظَليمِ عَلى الحَرسِ

A vanguard of travel-worn riders upon mounts as gaunt as themselves;

Advance parties of worn-out riders on equally worn-out mounts, which had,

despite their weariness, theirs was the male ostrich’s swift lope over stony ground.

Despite fatigue, the swift stride of a male ostrich on watch.

تُباري نَعامَ الجَوِّ طَوراً وَتارَةً

تُباري نَعامَ الجَوِّ طَوراً وَتارَةً

تُجاري نَعامَ الدَوِّ في المهمهِ الوَعسِ

تُجاري نَعامَ الدَوِّ في المهمهِ الوَعسِ

Now they vied with the ostriches of the open plain,

At times they raced the ostriches of the sky, and at other times

and now kept pace with desert ostriches through the trackless soft sands,

They kept pace with the desert’s ostriches in the soft-sanded wilderness.

إِلى أَن بَدَت لِلعَين أَعلامُ ذي طُوى

إِلى أَن بَدَت لِلعَين أَعلامُ ذي طُوى

وَبانَ حِمى البَيتِ المُقَدَّسِ عَن رِجسِ

وَبانَ حِمى البَيتِ المُقَدَّسِ عَن رِجسِ

until the landmarks of Dhu Tuwa appeared to the eye

Until the landmarks of Dhu Tuwa appeared to the eye,

and the precinct of the Holy House stood revealed, free of defilement.

And the sanctuary of the holy House appeared, free of defilement.

نَزَلنا مِنَ الوَادي المُقَدَّس شاطِئاً

نَزَلنا مِنَ الوَادي المُقَدَّس شاطِئاً

عَلى بُقعَةٍ فيهِ مُبارَكَة الرَمسِ

عَلى بُقعَةٍ فيهِ مُبارَكَة الرَمسِ

We alighted on a bank of the Sacred Valley,

We alighted on a bank of the sacred valley,

upon a tract within it blessed by the grave.

Upon a spot within it, blessed in its burial earth.

فَلاحَ لَنا مِن جانب الطُورِ لامِعاً

فَلاحَ لَنا مِن جانب الطُورِ لامِعاً

سَنا ضَوءِ نارٍ قَد جَلَت ظُلمَةَ اللَبسِ

سَنا ضَوءِ نارٍ قَد جَلَت ظُلمَةَ اللَبسِ

Then, from the side of the Mount, there flashed for us

Then from the side of the Mount there appeared to us, gleaming,

the radiance of a fire’s light, dispelling the darkness of confusion.

The radiance of a fire’s light that had dispelled the darkness of confusion.

وَما تِلكَ نارٌ بَل سَنا رَبةِ السَنا

وَما تِلكَ نارٌ بَل سَنا رَبةِ السَنا

تَجَلّى لِقَلبٍ قَد تَخَلّى عَن الحَدسِ

تَجَلّى لِقَلبٍ قَد تَخَلّى عَن الحَدسِ

But that was no fire: it was the splendor of the Lady of Splendor,

And that was no fire, but the radiance of the Lady of Radiance,

revealed to a heart that had relinquished conjecture.

Which revealed itself to a heart that had forsaken conjecture.

أَضاءَ سَناها طُورَ سيناءَ مَرَّةً

أَضاءَ سَناها طُورَ سيناءَ مَرَّةً

وَآنَسَها مِن قَبلُ موسى بِلا حِسِّ

وَآنَسَها مِن قَبلُ موسى بِلا حِسِّ

Once, her radiance illumined Mount Sinai,

Her radiance once illuminated Mount Sinai,

and Moses had perceived it before, beyond the senses.

And Moses had perceived her before, without sense-perception.

سَمِعنا بِطُورِ القَلبِ مِنها نِداءَ مَن

سَمِعنا بِطُورِ القَلبِ مِنها نِداءَ مَن

تَنَزَّه عَن فَصلٍ يُدانيهِ أَو جنسِ

تَنَزَّه عَن فَصلٍ يُدانيهِ أَو جنسِ

Upon the Sinai of the heart, from her we heard the call of One

On the Mount of the heart, we heard from her the call of One

exalted beyond any differentia or genus that might approximate Him.

Who transcends any differentia or genus that could approach Him.

وَنادى مُنادي القُرب مِن حَضرَةَ الرِضا

وَنادى مُنادي القُرب مِن حَضرَةَ الرِضا

أَلا فَاِنعموا فَالفَتحُ فَوقَ جَنى الغَرسِ

أَلا فَاِنعموا فَالفَتحُ فَوقَ جَنى الغَرسِ

And the herald of nearness called from the Presence of Contentment:

And the herald of nearness called from the Presence of Contentment:

“Behold, rejoice! The opening surpasses the fruit of what was planted.”

“Behold, rejoice, for the opening surpasses the fruits of planting!”

فَطُوبى لَنا مِن حاضِري أَيمَنِ الحِمى

فَطُوبى لَنا مِن حاضِري أَيمَنِ الحِمى

وَطُوبى لَنا مِن حاضِري حَضرَةَ القُدسِ

وَطُوبى لَنا مِن حاضِري حَضرَةَ القُدسِ

Blessed are we among those present on the sanctuary’s blessed right side,

So blessed are we, among those present on the sanctuary’s right-hand side,

and blessed are we among those present in the Presence of Holiness.

And blessed are we, among those present in the Presence of Holiness.